Meet Tom Sayers

Programme and project manager, Reed Elsevier
Oxford, UK

I've been at Reed Elsevier for seven years and that's already a lot longer than I ever expected. I thought I'd spend a couple of years here before my career and development path plateaud and then, with the opportunities exhausted, I'd need to move on. It hasn't worked out like that at all – Reed Elsevier is such a large organisation that you can move on and seek new challenges without needing to leave the company. Instead of hitting that plateau, I've repeatedly found new challenges. 'Boundarylessness' isn't just a buzz word, it's a reality at RE. Personal development is the responsibility of each employee, and management is committed to providing an unparalleled environment for this to happen.

In my seven years here, I've already worked in logistics, IT, product development, HR and Finance. I specialise in programme and project management, developing proposals for various parts of the business. Basically, it's my job to work out what opportunities we could usefully explore, identifying the costs, risks and benefits – and then building and managing the teams to deliver approved proposals.

I recently led the transformation of our human resources function, implementing a common system across all regions and most employees. Prior to this I have led teams based in the US, UK and Amsterdam . The work is demanding and stretches me – and that's something I enjoy. Every new role is like getting a new job without having to change company.